Obama: We Don’t Have a Strategy for Iraq-Syria War Yet

In a speech this afternoon, President Obama talked up the Iraq War in the broadest terms possible, praising the bravery of the pilots launching airstrikes in the country, and again taking credit for saving those “folks on the mountain,” presumably referring to the largely mythical Yazidi calamity that was the initial pretext for the conflict.

At the same time, he denied any existing plans to expand the war into Syria, and indeed claimed there “we don’t have a strategy” at all in place for any part of the war yet, saying asking Congress for permission for the war right now would be putting the cart before the horse until he figures out how big of a war it will be. The White House later clarified that as “no military strategy.”

Having no strategy at all would certainly explain a few things about the haphazard escalation of the conflict, as well as its apparent open-endedness. President Obama said Secretary of State John Kerry is being sent abroad to build a coalition for the war, because apparently other nations might want to get in on this strategy-free, heedless war.

Underscoring just how little clarity the administration is willing to offer on the war, President Obama conceded that the war will “cost some money,” without saying exactly how many billions of dollars per year we’re talking. That, along with where the money is going to come from, likewise seems to be getting punted down the road until the war is escalated to a level he’s comfortable with.

Author: Jason Ditz

Obama is dispatching Kerry to the ME to discuss the conflict with regional partners, what partners? Saudi Arabia is funnel in arms to the rebels, Jordan is a traing ground, Israel has open up its border to the rebels, no cooperation with Iran or Assad. The big question is; what is Obama's objectives in dealing with ISIS?

dan

I have a strategy. Stay out of it. Mind our own business. Call it a Switzerland strategy. Call it a Mexico strategy. Call it whatever you want but just stay out of it.

Caesar_Saladin

I wasn't aware there even WAS an 'Iraq-Syria War' going on. The last time I looked, it was ISIS going at it with both nations (or what's left of them).

Steve H.

Every day seems to offer a treasure trove of evidence as to why the "leadership" in Washington is destroying this country on purpose. No group of supposedly educated people could be this incompetent…right?

RockyRococo

This "concentional wisdom" (more like "conventional folly") covers both major parties over multiple decades. So far off track we can no longer even see the rails.

taco

How's this for a strategy: if you find yourself in a hole, quit digging. I'm afraid, however, that the current situation (covert activity followed by police action) is a continuation of a continuation of politics by other means.

oddie

anyone confused at the entire foreign policy of the west these days, should either watch or read this. hope justin raimondo has seen it. utterly brilliant.

As I read you it occurs to me they also aren't ~'interested' in ISIS' motives (Kerry's "inexplicable, nihilistic, valueless evil" bit tells me so (it's also bound to attract in a similar way that the War on Drugs attracts to marijuana; "please condemn my product"))…just like they won't be advertising their own. New doctrine? Old doctrine? Nobody has popularly understood reasons for what they do.

Mojo

That's another lie, USG hade plan for regime change in Syria and strategy to do it, now all of the sudden they don't have strategy for fighting their own creation, that's absurd and unbelievable.

We said it long time ago, Barack Hussein Obama, Hillary Clinton hand in hand with Saudis/UAE created ISIS to expend the Saudis Sunni religious in Syria and dividing Iraq according to Joe Biden plan and strategy. Then to create a continues war in Middle East to keep the Middle east out of the path for democracy and unity between nations, meanwhile Israel is given the green light by Barack Hussein Obama and us Democratic Party far right politicians to kill as many as Palestinians as Israel can. Now everything needs to be solved by the people and USG wants to clean his bloody hands living behind their barbarians. Live the people of the world alone, live the people of Middle East alone USG, while at it take your bulldogs and the saudis barbarians with you.

persnipoles

'we tortured some folks'
it will 'cost some money'
'an unbelievably small war'
~…unless there is explicit intelligence that proves his innocence posthumously. …~

I'm wondering, based on some of the stuff that has happened of late and some of the things the Administration has done of late, was there a military coup in Washington, D.C. and no one bothered to tell the rest of us? The US foreign policy of late seems like it is being directed from the Pentagon and the neocon think tanks. It's obvious that the only options being offered by the advisors is war…and more war. There hasn't been any real reasoned diplomatic direction since Obama took office in 2009…matter of fact, Cheney and the neocon peanut gallery have been relatively quiet…too quiet. Is it because they got their people in place and are actually making all the big decisions?

When Obama was running for office in 2008 and for a short while after winning, he was pushing for a military contraction in both operational adventurism and footprint. I wonder if the brass in the Pentagon decided they didn't like that and since the American people aren't really paying attention anymore, they'd just sit Obama down and explain how things are going to be. Given the weird things that have happened and the decidedly gladiatorial bent things have had recently, is it beyond belief?

Maybe I should just stop reading those old John le Carré novels…

JMR

Best explanation I have seen yet, besides maybe someone putting something in the water of Washington DC that has driven the entire federal government stark raving mad.

curmudgeonvt

Many of the wackos were…wacko…think Louie Gohmert and Ted Cruz…long before they got anywhere near DC, but "stupid juice" in the water might explain a lot.

Danton

The best strategy is no strategy and stay the hell out of war.

RIC

Whether or not Obama knows it, he is following a strategy: the Oded Yinon plan. It calls for destabilization of the Middle East, breaking nations into smaller pieces that can be easily dominated by Israel. If the USG doesn't have a strategy yet, it's because Tel Aviv hasn't given it to them.

Bill Fargo

The only strategy the US has folllowed since WW2 is whatever will enhance the bottomline of the military-industrial complex.